Uvariodendron occidentale Le Thomas, Adansonia ser . 2, 7: 251 (1967)

Dagallier, Leo-Paul M. J., Mbago, Frank M., Couderc, Marie, Gaudeul, Myriam, Grall, Aurelie, Loup, Caroline, Wieringa, Jan J., Sonke, Bonaventure & Couvreur, Thomas L. P., 2023, Phylogenomic inference of the African tribe Monodoreae (Annonaceae) and taxonomic revision of Dennettia, Uvariodendron and Uvariopsis, PhytoKeys 233, pp. 1-200 : 1

Uvariodendron occidentale Le Thomas, Adansonia ser. 2, 7: 251 (1967)

Figs 38 , 39

Type.

Ivory Coast - Oumé • A. Aubréville 4140 (holotype: P! (P00315840), sheet here designated; isotype P! (P00315843)), Oume, région d'Oumé; 6°23'N, 5°25'W; 28 Feb. 1957 .

Description.

Tree 5-10 m tall, D.B.H. up to 15 cm; young branches glabrous, old branches glabrous. Petiole 5-10 mm long, 1-3 mm wide, sparsely pubescent to glabrous. Leaf lamina 170-350 mm long, 55-95 mm wide, length:width ratio 2.5-3.7, elliptic to obovate, coriaceous, base acute to decurrent, apex acuminate, acumen 7-21 mm long; surface above glabrous, surface below sparsely pubescent to glabrous when young, glabrous when old; midrib impressed above, raised below, glabrous above, glabrous below; secondary veins 10-18 pairs, weakly brochidodromous, impressed above, raised below; tertiary veins reticulate. Inflorescences borne on trunk, composed of 1 flower. Flower pedicel 6-16 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, pubescent. Flowers bisexual, buds globose, pedicellate, 4-6 mm high, 7-8 mm in diameter, pubescent. Bracts 1 to 3, upper bract 2.5-4 mm long, 4.5-5 mm wide, ovate, semi-clasping to clasping the pedicel, pubescent outside, pubescent inside. Sepals 3, 3-5 mm long, 2.5-6 mm wide, depressed ovate to broadly triangular, fused at base in a ring, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, color unknown. Outer petals 3, 15-25 mm long, 10-17 mm wide, length:width ratio 1.4-1.6, elliptic, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, yellow with purple marks on the margins outside, yellow with purple marks inside. Inner petals 3, 10-21 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, length:width ratio obovate, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, color unknown. Stamens 600 to 800, 2-2.5 mm long, 0.4-0.5 mm wide, anthers linear, connective prolongation truncate and puberulent. Carpels 20 to 40, 3-4 mm long, 1 mm wide, pubescent, free; stigma 0.5-1 mm long, 1 mm wide, coiled, pubescent. Fruiting pedicel 15-22 mm long, 2-3.5 mm in diameter, pubescent to glabrous. Monocarps 6 to 11, 17-50 mm long, 7-20 mm wide, length:width ratio 1.6-2.7, cylindrical, curved, longitudinally ridged, acuminate, pubescent to glabrate, color unknown; stipitate, stipe 5-12 mm long, 1-2.5 mm wide, puberulent. Seeds 9-14 per monocarp, biseriate, 7 to 5 mm long, ca. 5 mm wide.

Distribution.

Element of the Upper Guinean Domain and Lower Guinean Domain of the Guineo-Congolian Region: Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria.

Habitat and ecology.

Lowland mature rain forest. Altitude: 155-250 m a.s.l.

Phenology.

Flowers collected from October to February. Fruits collected from January to April.

Vernacular names.

Ivory Coast: 'Michiti à grandes feuilles’ ( Aubréville 4140).

Etymology.

A. Le Thomas initially named this species Ud. occidentalis ( Le Thomas 1967). However, Uvariodendron is neutral as - dendron -tree- is neutral in Greek (Article 62.2.(c) in ( Turland et al. 2018), the termination of the adjective occidental -western- should be - e and not - is. In accordance with Articles 23.5, 32.2 and 60.1 ( Turland et al. 2018), it is thus corrected here as Ud. occidentale .

Notes.

This species resembles Ud. fuscum and Ud. molundense but can be differentiated in having leaf bases acute to decurrent (vs. acute to rounded), flower slender flower pedicel 6-16 mm long and 1-2 mm wide (vs. flower subsessile in Ud. fuscum and flower pedicel rather short and thick 2-14 mm long and 2-4 mm wide in Ud. molundense ), and sepals 3-5 mm long fused at base forming a ring (vs. 11-55 mm long and fused in Ud. fuscum and 5-9 mm long and free in Ud. molundense ).

Preliminary conservation status.

A previous assessment, that needs updating, listed this species as Vulnerable VU under criteria A1c ( Hawthorne 1998). Here its EOO is estimated at 223,596 km2 and AOO at 52 km2. It would qualify for Endangered EN based solely on AOO, but none of the other sub-criteria are met. Given it occurs in less than 20 locations and given its low AOO, it is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the future. Following IUCN criterion B, it is thus assigned a preliminary updated conservation status of Near Threatened NT.

Additional specimens examined.

Ghana - Ashanti Region • J.E. Andoh 4171 (K, P), Ofin Headwaters Reserve ; 7°00'N, 1°27'W; Apr. 1936 . Ivory Coast - Bouaflé • C.C.H. Jongkind 4349 (WAG), Parc National de la Marahoue. Near south border; 6°59'N, 6°10'W; alt. 250 m; 11 Feb. 1998 - Daloa • F.N. Kouamé 1443 (CSRS, G), F.C. du Haut-Sassandra, Nord. forêt dégradée, relevé FNK14; 7°01'N, 7°18'W; 04 Apr. 1995 • F.N. Kouamé 1486 (CSRS, G), F.C. du Haut-Sassandra, Centre. forêt dégradée de pente, relevé FNK14, entre layons 10 et 11; 7°00'N, 8°10'W; 13 Apr. 1995 • F.N. Kouamé 1487 (G), F.C. du Haut-Sassandra, Centre, forêt dégradée, relevé FNK14; 7°07'45.48'N, 6°59'29.4'W; 13 Apr. 1995 - Divo • L. Aké Assi 4633 (P), Divo, Foret Classee de, Foret de Divo ; 5°54'30.6'N, 5°16'41.52'W; alt. 155 m; 11 Jun. 1958 • L. Aké Assi 6629 (G), Divo, Foret Classee de, Foret de Divo ; 5°54'30.6'N, 5°16'41.52'W; alt. 155 m; Nov. 1962 - Guiglo • A. Aubréville 1224 (P), Giglo, Debokun; 6°32'37.26'N, 7°29'36.58'W; 18 Apr. 1932 • A. Bakayoko 21 (G), Guiglo, Zaipobly , forêt sur colline; 7°29'N, 5°57'W; 27 Jan. 2001 - San-Pédro • L. Aké Assi 17192 (G), route de Tabou, forêt près de Para; 4°48'N, 6°48'W; 28 Dec. 1985 - Unknown major area • F.N. Kouamé 1623 (CSRS, G), Daloa F.C. du Haut-Sassandra, Nord. forêt très dégradée sur cuirasse, relevé FNK23; 7°18'N, 7°01'W; 07 Feb. 1995 - Unknown collector 1780 (P (P01982836)), Bords de l'Agnéby, Mudjika ; Feb. 1933 . Nigeria - Ondo State • F. Anakwense FHI19701 (K); Akure, Akure Forest Reserve ; 7°19'N, 5°02'E; 11 Dec. 1950 • K. Obeng-Darko 182 (K); Akure, Owena Forest Reserve, Owena ; 7°12'N, 5°01'E; 20 Feb. 1946 • R.W.J. Keay FHI24604 (K); Akure, Akure Forest Reserve, Block 6 C Akure FR; 7°19'N, 5°02'E; 28 Oct. 1948 .

Figures

Figure 38. Uvariodendron occidentale Le Thomas A leaf B inflorescence C flower, bottom view D outer petals, outside (left) and inside (right) views E inner petals, outside (left) and inside (right) views F longitudinal section of the receptacle G stamen, front view H carpel and longitudinal section I fruit, bottom view J fruit, side view K flower, one outer and one inner petals removed, bottom view. A-I from Aubreville 4140 (type) J Kouame 1487 K Aubreville 4140. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, modified from Le Thomas (1967; pl. 1 p. 250), Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle. Photos Leo-Paul Dagallier.

Figure 39. Distribution map of Uvariodendron occidentale. Shades of grey represent elevation, from white (sea level) to darker grey (higher elevation). The inset shows the extent of the map over Africa.